PESHAWAR: The private schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have announced to close the schools for two days in protest against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over allegedly handing over the education system to foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

At a meeting in Charsadda, the private schools owners decided to keep the schools shut on 23-24 April against the anti-education polices of the provincial government.

The Private Schools Network representatives said the provincial government has backtracked from all its promises of resolving the problems of private educational institutions. They alleged that the Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) is working under an agenda to exclude Pakhtun culture and traditions from the syllabus and bring the schools under foreign NGOs.

The demanded the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of the matter.

They said they will come on roads if the government did not address their grievances.

The private educational institutions in Hazara division will also observe strike on Monday and Tuesday against the influence of NGOs in the regulatory matters of the private schools.

Earlier, Private Education Association Peshawar president Wasifullah said the education sector was being damaged in the name of reforms.

He said the provincial government seems to be confused with its education policy at the end of its tenure. He said it will be impossible for majority of private schools to survive after the so-called reforms.

On the other hand, the provincial governments says it has issued guidelines for the private educational institutions under the orders of the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

The PHC on Tuesday last had summoned the secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education and Managing Director of PSRA, asking them to explain why they failed to implement a court’s judgement delivered five months ago for the regulating the affairs of private institutions.

On the court orders, the PSRA had ordered the educational institutes across the province that no private schools will increase the fee structure or take additional fee from parents until the process of fee structure is completed. The private schools were also directed not to receive full monthly tuition fee from students before Summer vacations, otherwise stern actions shall be taken.

According to the PSRA Act, the students whose siblings are enrolled in the same school will only pay half of the total fee and they will also have to pay half fee during the Summer vacations.